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Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

“When it comes to kids, anything that puts their futures on the line is a threat,” Tillman said. “Detective Murray’s job is to convince them that it’s more dangerous for them to stay silent than it is for them to come forward. Give it a few more days. At least a couple parents will decide that their odds are better if they come in and cut a deal for their kids. I know it feels like this is taking a long time, but this isn’t a case to rush. There are a lot of people in town who’d like to see this whole thing swept under the rug. If we bring the charges before we have the evidence to support them, the case will fall apart pretty quickly.”

Maja trusted what Jake was saying, but it had still been tough to watch her future neighbors get more worked up about the investigation than they were about the damage to her house. Jake had encouraged her to bring someone for support, but Ted was working and Aneeta had given her a thin excuse. Maybe her son actually did have a cold, Maja thought, or maybe she just wasn’t ready to align herself with Maja in a town that had clearly already taken sides.

She quickly said goodbye to Jake, anxious to get away from the parents streaming out of the school. Walking back to the inn, she felt conspicuous, as if she didn’t belong there. Several people had given her questioning looks at the meeting, and Maja imagined they knew who she was. It was unsettling. This town, which had seemed so perfect on the surface, was starting to look a lot darker when she peeked underneath.

21

Linda O’Connor walked into the Giant supermarket and pulled a crumpled list from her pocket. Even in the midst of what felt like a slowly unfolding disaster for her family, everyone still had to eat dinner.

Walking through the produce section, she automatically stopped by the “grown local” section to check on their produce. The Giant was good about promoting local farms, and even though they didn’t make much profit on it, Linda considered it good publicity—a reminder to people in New Falls that there were still businesses like hers to support. Twice a week she had Will drive down a few cases of whatever they had on hand: apples from cold storage, bouquets of cut flowers in jam jars, and berries when they were in season.